


branches

by fuegucci



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Angst, Cliche, F/M, Romance, Tags May Change, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-16
Updated: 2016-05-16
Packaged: 2018-06-08 17:53:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6867337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fuegucci/pseuds/fuegucci
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>no matter how far our branches grow apart, we are always a part of the Tree. this story follows hinami fueguchi on her journey in search for new roots.<br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	branches

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hinami joins aogiri tree to turn a new leaf, but is met with a rude awakening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> morning glory: symbolizes the mortality of life, and love that is in vain. tends to outgrow anything.

a ray of light seeps through a crack in the window.

 

his arm finds itself wrapped around something cold. and soft. and strangely body-like. the skin is soft, relaxed, smooth . . .was that a belly button? his fingers, with minds of their own, wander across the skin of the mystery torso.

 

ayato can’t help but wonder what he is doing here. He knows that this isn’t his home - too bright. he knows that ghouls can’t get drunk, and he knows that he doesn’t remember being bored, so he he knows that it must have been good.

 

he knows his hand is on someone’s flesh, and that there’s a stranger lying entangled in his grasp, and that he doesn’t recall whatever events that transpired in order for him to be in this position.

 

he also knows that this feeling . . .feels different. it is not the same feeling that he has often felt when in this situation before.

 

he feels like he can’t leave.

 

his eyelids flutter open. it’s a girl this time. her face is framed by strands of brown hair strewn in disarray. he scans for any signs of familiarity - do they know each other? she breathes faintly in her slumber, hands grazing the edge of his pillow. she looks so at peace, ayato almost feels bad - but he knows this was a bad idea in the first place. he doesn’t know who this person is, where she’s been, who she works for - he has to get out of here.

 

he extracts himself from the sheets, then reaches around the foot of the bed for his clothes as quietly as possible. he’s about to stand up from the edge of the bed when a delicate hand pulls on his sleeve.

 

“...please don’t leave,” the sleepy girl murmurs. “that’s rude.”

 

ayato hesitates.

 

then he rises to his feet.

 

“i have to go to work.”

 

he leaves, but he can’t shake off the feeling.

.

. 

.

 

he feels guilt.

 

\+  +  +

 

“i’m _so_ freaking late,” hinami mutters as she attempts to put on a boot and search her bag for ms. takatsuki’s directions. _what kind of first impression is this going to have? what if they fill my spot? what will ms. takatsuki think?_

 

when she first started talking to ms. takatsuki nearly a year ago, she would have never considered joining aogiri tree. they were violent. mean. unnecessarily cruel. well, maybe they still are all of those things. and she still thinks she may not be cut out or being a member.

 

perhaps the only change was in herself. a  year ago, hinami never really felt the need to take matters into her own hands until now. but the past year has changed all of that.

 

she lost her family - again. the first time, she had a support system to take care of her, to protect her from being the next target. this time, she barely has anyone - and, as ms. takatsuki has convinced her, it’s just about time that she take the matter into her own hands.

 

when you lose all of your family, it changes you.

 

her past self would shudder at the things her present incarnation has seen, the things she’s . . . _done_. she definitely is not as sheltered as she once was, to say the least.

 

and she doesn’t know if that makes her feel better or worse.

 

takatsuki was always there for her, though. she is the reason that hinami is on this journey in the first place. Sh was her shoulder to cry on, and the closest person she could possibly even call family. They didn’t live together for the past year, but they would exchange notes and texts and emails between meetings. she met ms. takatsuki before all of the tragedies in her life, and ms. takatsuki was the only one left after to help mend her wounds. she facilitated hinami’s transformation into a strong, independent young woman, and hinami is ever thankful for that.

 

_“hinami, i would like you to take this proposition in all seriousness. a little birdie told me that she has a way to give you a family again. now, this birdie also says that this new family might be hard to get used to, but she thinks that it is the best way to protect yourself, especially now since you are more grown-up and independent. and. . .  i happen to think so as well.”_

 

If ms. takatsuki hadn’t become a part of hinami’s life, hinami probably wouldn’t even be alive to witness this - this huge, no, _monumental_ moment for her. _today is the day._

 

today, hinami will get her life back.

 

today, she _will_ join aogiri.

 

hinami finally reaches the ominous compound. it’s . . . different. for one thing, this one looks a lot nicer than what she would have imagined from ms. takatsuki’s  descriptions. the buildings were dark, yes, but brought to life by vines of trumpet-shaped morning glories in blues and purples. she nearly forgot about the gravity behind the organization by just looking at it.

 

 _it’s funny,_ she thinks, _how beauty can grow in the darkest of places._

_._

_._

_._

she breathes. _inhale, exhale._

_inhale, exhale._

 

_inhale._

 

_exhale._

 

she slowly lifts her fist to the back door, careful to control the tremor taking over her hand. she reminds herself to breathe - again. it’s no big deal, she tries to convince herself, it’s just the right thing to do.

 

 _this is_ _the right thing to do._

 

she opens her eyes and stares at the black  door before her head on.

 

she prepares her fist, tremble-free and ready for action.

 

she starts the knocking motion with the strongest force she can muster. _i am doing this. i am ready. i ca-_

_._

_._

_._

the door opens before her knuckles make contact, and it nearly knocks her off of her feet.

.

.

.

“Jesus Christ, watch where you’re fuckin-”

 

hinami gets back up, quickly brushing herself off. when she’s done, she raises her head, and her eyes meet with the person standing in her way -

 

and it is certainly _not_ sen takatsuki.

.

.

.

“... _fuck,”_ the dark-haired boy mutters under his breath.

 

hinami briefly gazes in shock, but soon after pats down her hair, recovers her game face, and walks ahead - forcing him to step aside. “so sorry to disturb you at _work,_ ayato.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i will definitely continue this ! this is gonna be my first multi-chapter fic for tg so i'm excited! i've got some plannnnns

**Author's Note:**

> tree puns are fun.


End file.
